Promises of Someday
by koaladeb
Summary: Promise me someday" {HoratioCalleigh}
1. Default Chapter

Promises of Someday 1/5 By koaladeb  
  
Summary: "Promise me someday."  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Enough said.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairing: Horatio/Calleigh  
  
Spoilers: Big Brother  
  
A/N: I've been working on this one for a while now- the ending keeps eluding me, so I'll warn everyone up front- as much as I would love to pour out all the happy stuff that takes place in this story, the current plan is to post cautiously until the end is finalized. Sorry!  
  
Dedication: This is for all of you who continue to hope and believe in our ship, no matter what TPTB throw at us. What is it Marianne always says? To the last scene of the last ep of the last season... something like that ::grin::  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Calleigh was in Horatio's office going over a case file when the call came in. She did not know who was on the other end of the phone, only that the caller was having a peculiar effect on her boss and friend. As she watched, his face careened through multiple expressions of confusion, recognition, concern, relief, confusion, and shy pleasure.  
  
She wanted to know what was going on, but she could not piece together the content of Horatio's conversation, as his contribution to it consisted of curt replies of, "Hello? Did something happen? Good. What? When? How long? I would be honored."  
  
When he set down the phone, Calleigh watched as he reached over and made an indecipherable entry in his planner. When he met her gaze, there was nothing in his eyes to give away what had just happened.  
  
Mentally shrugging her shoulders, Calleigh resumed her analysis of different tool marks and impressions of the scene. Horatio never mentioned or explained the phone call.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Two weeks went by, with no additional information to satisfy Calleigh's curiosity. Horatio, always focused like a laser beam on cases, was occasionally discovered to be looking off into space, completely distracted, a wistful smile capping off relaxed features.  
  
Speed and Eric joked about the possibility of a new girlfriend, and every time they made mention of it, Calleigh's stomach tied itself into knots. She wanted to be the one putting a smile on Horatio's face, the person who had him daydreaming at work, not some phantom woman! Whenever the conversation turned to this kind of conjecture, Calleigh excused herself from the room, finding solace in the quiet, controlled realm of ballistics.  
  
Ignorance, however, was hardly blissful, and it was starting to show. Alexx caught her escaping from the break room one day and pulled her aside, calmly inquiring why she seemed to have accumulated all of Horatio's absent stress. The conversation had gone nowhere. Alexx knew too much and Calleigh was willing to discuss far too little.  
  
Before letting her go, however, Alexx had placed a hand on her shoulder and offered an encouraging smile after glancing in the direction of Horatio's office. "It's not what you think," she had stated, firmly but quietly, the words meant for Calleigh alone. "You'll see."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Calleigh wondered where the peace of that reassurance went to as she stared at the scene in front of her.  
  
It was a Saturday, and she had decided to walk to a local deli for some lunch, not knowing that simple action could turn her world upside-down.  
  
Her chosen route took her right past a children's park, and the sunny day mixed with the sound of children's laughter had induced her to pause for a moment and take in the scene. A short time after taking a seat on a vacant park bench, she saw them.  
  
The little girl couldn't have been more than four. Her soft cheeks were framed by fiery red hair that streamed out behind her as she was propelled forward on the swing set. Delighted laughter fell across Calleigh like a bucket of ice water, all because of the man pushing the swing. Even from a distance of fifty feet, she knew exactly who he was, and even hidden behind sunglasses, she knew his eyes to be a perfect match of the little girl's.  
  
Calleigh was frozen in place, realizations robbing her of strength and breath. Alexx was right---it was not as she had thought. Horatio had not been thinking about a woman, he had been thinking about a child. His child. Questions surfaced like bubbles in her shocked mind. How had she not known? Where had the child been? Why had he never said anything about having a daughter?  
  
She could not tear her eyes away from the easy interaction they shared, but after a few moments, the tears gathering in her eyes blocked the pair from clear view. Again, she was hit by despondent jealousy. This was the little girl of her dreams, the child she shared with Horatio in a world which consumed her heart but was locked behind her eyelids.  
  
But she existed in the real world, and the little girl was not hers, and that fact hurt more than Calleigh could say. She slid off the bench and quietly made her way back toward the street, thoughts of lunch forgotten.  
  
She was passing through the park gates when something hit her from behind. Instincts kicking in, Calleigh spun around and caught a child, stabilizing the small body before it hit the ground, rolling her shoulder underneath both of them and taking the full force of the impact herself. The weight of the child on her chest combined with the fall knocked the air out of Calleigh's lungs.  
  
She heard footsteps rapidly approaching, but couldn't think about anything other than controlling the instinctual panic that appeared the moment she could no longer inhale. *You've gotten the wind knocked out of you, it will be fine* Calleigh told herself. She waited a few seconds and attempted again, this time with success.  
  
By the time her lungs were greedily absorbing oxygen, the footsteps had stopped and someone was lifting the weight from her chest. She heard a voice begin to scold the child while she took deep, measured breaths. A voice that shocked and expelled newly acquired air back into the fatefully cursed day.  
  
"Maddy, I told you not to run ahead of me. You could have been hurt. If it hadn't been for..."  
  
She saw it coming a mile away. His head turned in slow-motion and the all- too familiar voice trailed off mid-thought. Watching Horatio's jaw drop, Calleigh wondered whether her two seconds of warning made her any more prepared for this moment than him. After careful consideration, she decided it did not.  
  
She was lying on the ground, sunglasses a yard away, squinting up at the pair and cursing fate. Trying to diffuse some of the awkwardness, she forced a smile.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here." 


	2. Part 2

Promises of Someday 2/5 By koaladeb  
  
Disclaimer information in part 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Calleigh offered a small wave and Horatio internally winced when her attempt made both adults aware of the fact that her right elbow had been scraped in the fall. Her long-sleeved shirt was torn and blood was dotting the ragged edges of fabric.  
  
Recovering from his shock, he quietly set Maddy on the ground and helped Calleigh to sit up, checking for other signs of injury and picking broken leaves off her back and out of her hair. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and placed it against Calleigh's elbow, all while keeping one eye on Maddy, who was walking slowly over to where the sunglasses were lying. Picking them up, she returned to the still-silent pair sitting on the ground.  
  
Horatio battled feelings of guilt as he watched Calleigh look at her miniature assailant, now eye-level, and compare Maddy to himself. He knew of the resemblances that would become apparent upon close examination, and he knew what Calleigh would conclude. Aside from her hair and eyes, there was no mistaking the fairness of Maddy's skin and the slight but familiar tilt of the head when she was thinking.  
  
He sighed, feeling his heart twist at the traces of pain he could read in Calleigh's gaze. He turned to his niece. "You need to apologize, Maddy."  
  
"I'm sorry, Uncle Horatio."  
  
Maddy was staring up at him, her expression completely serious and blue eyes enormous as she waited to see the effect of her apology. Horatio was torn between wanting to be stern and giving in to the urge to pick Maddy up and tell her all was forgiven. He settled for drawing the little girl close, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and telling her, "I'm not the one you knocked over. Miss Duquesne is."  
  
He looked over at Calleigh and met her confused stare with silent apology. She had picked up on the title of "uncle" as quickly as the resemblances he shared with Maddy and did not know what to think. In an effort to help her understand, Horatio made formal introductions.  
  
"Calleigh, this is Madison Keaton, my niece. Maddy, this is Miss Duquesne."  
  
Maddy pulled away from his arms to stand right in front of Calleigh, stumbling over her name but making up for it by attempting to carefully put her sunglasses back on. Horatio smiled as he observed his niece working her charm, now attempting to fix strands of Calleigh's hair, fascinated by its length and beauty.  
  
He watched Calleigh offer Maddy her forgiveness and receive an exuberant hug that probably brought to light the presence of some bruises previously unnoticed. But the irresistible child had managed to work her spell again, and received nothing except a warm hug in return.  
  
Horatio helped Calleigh stand. "Thank you for protecting Maddy from falling. Are you alright?"  
  
Calleigh shrugged carefully and tried to hand back the handkerchief. "I'm fine, just a couple of scrapes. I'll just go home and..."  
  
Horatio stopped her before she could get away. "There's a drugstore across the street. Maddy and I can run over and grab some peroxide and band-aids and be right back. The least we can do is patch you up. Please."  
  
With silent prompting, his request was echoed by Maddy, whom he knew Calleigh would be unable to refuse. Nodding her agreement, Calleigh allowed herself to be led to a bench. Horatio picked up Maddy. "We'll be right back," he said. "Don't move."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Horatio made his way across the street, putting Maddy down once they were safely inside the drugstore. He answered questions about how he knew Calleigh's name and the length of time he had known her; he affirmed the fact they were friends. The warning bells in his head did not begin to go off, however, until she asked, "You like her, don't you?"  
  
Horatio tried to avoid the question, wondering why the four year old at his side suddenly reminded him of a certain quazi-clairvoyant medical examiner.  
  
"What makes you say that?" he asked neutrally, picking up some gauze pads.  
  
"You wanted her to stay with us." It was a challenge more than an answer.  
  
Horatio stopped looking through the selection of band-aids and knelt down to face the little girl. "Does that bother you? That I wanted her to stay?" he asked, considering for the first time that Maddy might not like Calleigh, that she might view her presence as an intrusion.  
  
Maddy looked back at him with open, honest eyes. "No," she answered seriously. "She caught me. I like her. I think she's pretty."  
  
Horatio grinned and dropped a kiss on his niece's head before turning back to the band-aids. "I do too."  
  
"So you do like her!" Maddy announced, victoriously.  
  
Busted, Horatio could only shake his head in wonder. He looked down at Maddy with a mock-frown. "Yes, I like her," he answered. "But that has to stay between you and me, okay? Our secret---no one else can know."  
  
She nodded, giggling and drawing a pretend zipper across her lips.  
  
When they got to the check-out counter, he felt a small pull on his jeans. Looking down, he saw pleading eyes and a bag of M&M's being held up for his approval. He was about to shake his head and refuse the silent request when Maddy said, "For Miss... the lady I ran into. To say sorry and make her feel better."  
  
With that reasoning, Horatio was helpless to refuse. He gave the bag of candy to the check out counter and tried not to take the woman's knowing look too hard.  
  
~~~~~  
  
When they returned to the park, Calleigh was in the same place as when they left. Putting down the bag of supplies, Horatio told Maddy she could play on the nearby slide while he cleaned up Calleigh's arm.  
  
As the delighted child skipped away, Calleigh said, "She's beautiful."  
  
The wistful tone of her voice echoed his own longings and Horatio had to look away. He watched Maddy climb up the slide ladder for a moment and silently agreed before turning back, ready to explain, but was stopped by the trusting expression on Calleigh's face.  
  
"You don't have to tell me," she said.  
  
"Yes I do," he answered, picking up the drugstore bag and sitting on the bench. "If only because I need to share this with someone and I've wanted to tell you about her ever since I found out."  
  
He turned his attention to Calleigh's elbow. There was no way of getting to the scrape without removing her shirt, a faded grey tee with the name "Tulane" printed in classic collegiate font across the front. Calleigh saw his dilemma.  
  
"Just rip it," she said. "It's already halfway there. Besides, it was time to get rid of this old thing anyway."  
  
Horatio obeyed and ripped the fabric, removing the sleeve a couple of inches above the elbow. He could see the scrapes were not bad; the bleeding had stopped, but there was some light bruising that was also beginning to appear.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said to her, looking at the discoloration of her skin. "I shouldn't have let her get away from me."  
  
"As if you could have stopped her," she laughed. "Look."  
  
Horatio looked up to see Maddy going down the slide, laughing and waving her arms, and could not stop the indulgent, affectionate grin that crossed his face. He looked over at Calleigh, who was watching for his reaction, and blushed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He took out the peroxide and gauze and began to clean the blood and scrapes. Knowing Calleigh was keeping an eye out for Maddy, he began to tell her about his niece. He used the story and his self-assigned first-aid task to keep his mind off how soft Calleigh's skin was, how warm it felt under his fingertips.  
  
By the time Calleigh's arm had been cleaned up and antibiotic ointment applied, she knew about Raymond's affair with Suzie Barnam and how he was sending the girl's mother money to support herself and Maddy, all while hiding their existence from his sister-in-law.  
  
As he applied band-aids, Horatio explained the phone call of two weeks ago: Suzie had to go out of town for a management training seminar and needed someone to watch Maddy while she was gone. He had asked Alexx privately for guidance. On her advice, he had babysat a couple of times to get used to Maddy's routine, falling in love with the little girl and his role as uncle more and more.  
  
"I guess that explains the daydreaming," Calleigh said, amused.  
  
Horatio glanced over at Maddy, who was running back toward the bench. "Guilty as charged," he answered.  
  
When the little girl reached them, she asked, "Did Uncle Horatio make you all better, Miss Doo ... Du ... uh..."  
  
"Just call me Calleigh."  
  
Maddy practically glowed. "Okay! So did he ... Calleigh?" The last word was spoken quietly, as she tried out the name.  
  
"Yes, he did. See?" Calleigh answered, displaying her band-aids proudly.  
  
Maddy looked from the cloth stripes to her uncle. "Did you kiss them better too? My mommy always does that."  
  
Horatio blushed, looking from his precocious niece to an equally embarrassed Calleigh. "Um... no. You see..."  
  
His denial was met with folded arms and a remarkable impression of what he looked like when facing down a criminal. "You *have* to kiss it better, Uncle Horatio," Maddy demanded.  
  
"Yeah, Horatio," Calleigh chimed in, laughing. "You have to." She offered her arm and a challenging grin.  
  
Rendered just as powerless by the tag team effort as Calleigh was earlier, Horatio conceded. He took her proffered arm and placed a gentle kiss over top of the band-aids. Calleigh stopped laughing and gasped. He tagged her eyes with his own over the rim of his sunglasses and saw she was just as affected by the action as he was even as he felt her tremble beneath his fingers.  
  
Maddy cleared her throat, and Horatio tore his eyes from Calleigh to look at his niece. She had an overly innocent look on her face, and he wondered whether the "kiss and make it better" routine was, in fact, a ploy. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.  
  
"She's cold," Maddy said quickly. "I saw her shiver, and she doesn't have a sleeve anymore, and I think you should give her your jacket."  
  
Horatio now knew he was being played, but he went along with Maddy's idea anyway. He removed the light windbreaker he was wearing and helped Calleigh put it on, drawing it up around her shoulders from behind. Part of him thanked the deviousness of his niece when he was afforded the privilege of pulling Calleigh's hair out from where it was trapped underneath the jacket and settling it on her back.  
  
"What now, oh great healer?" he asked Maddy, letting her know he was not being fooled.  
  
The little girl grinned. "You know," she whispered conspiratorially. "The candy."  
  
Horatio made an "Oh" with his mouth and nodded. Digging into the bag filled with supplies and garbage, he pulled out the M&Ms.  
  
"For our hero," he said, offering the small bag to Calleigh.  
  
Calleigh smiled and her eyes shone. "Why thank you kind sir, miss," she replied, accepting the reward. "I would open these now and share, but I don't want to ruin my lunch."  
  
Maddy looked crestfallen and Horatio silently applauded Calleigh for seeing through his niece's plan. He shared a knowing glance and wink with Calleigh, who was trying to hide a smile.  
  
He should have known better than to underestimate the power of a four-year old mind.  
  
Maddy's head snapped up, inspiration written on every feature. "We were going to lunch too when I ran into you," she said. "Why don't you come to eat with us, and *then* we can share the M&Ms!"  
  
Caught in their own trap, the adults looked helplessly at each other.  
  
"I... I couldn't," Calleigh finally stammered. "I've taken up enough of your time together as it is, and I should really get home and change my shirt..."  
  
But Maddy was on a roll, shoring up her argument before anyone could put together a solid refusal. "But we were going to eat at the mall, and you can go with us and find a new shirt there, and this way if I have to go to the bathroom you can take me. And I want you to spend more time with us, because I like you and I think you're pretty, and Uncle Horatio said..."  
  
Horatio saw where Maddy was going with her train of thought and before she could let slip his "secret," he dropped off the bench and covered her mouth with his hand, sweeping her off her feet, returning to his previous position and settling a giggling Maddy on his lap. He could tell Calleigh was extremely interested in "what Uncle Horatio said" and was more than willing to spend time with his niece in order to discover that information.  
  
Horatio knew he was trapped, and so took the only road open to him. "So Calleigh," he said casually, "would you care to join Maddy and me for lunch?" 


	3. Part 3

Promises of Someday 3/5 By koaladeb  
  
Disclaimer information in part 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As she scouted around the mall food court for an empty table, Calleigh wondered how she had managed to find herself in this position: spending Saturday afternoon helping Horatio babysit his illegitimate niece and trying not to fall into a fantasy where this was her family.  
  
It was hard- ever since she had accepted the invitation to lunch, the day had adopted a dreamlike quality to it- helping Maddy climb into the Hummer, fastening the girl's safety belt, and riding to the mall with Horatio. Every time he glanced into the rearview mirror to look at Maddy, Calleigh felt her heart leap with the knowledge that this is how he would be with his own children.  
  
The small hand in her own began tugging, and Calleigh looked down to see an earnest look on Maddy's face. She leaned down and was told, "I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
With a smile, Calleigh stood and caught Horatio's eye from where he was standing in line to place their order. She pointed to the restrooms and he acknowledged her silent statement with a nod.  
  
Maddy went into a stall and Calleigh took the opportunity to take another look at her arm. Sliding Horatio's windbreaker down her arm, she took in the appearance of band-aids covering a wide bruise. Gently, she touched the spot where Horatio had kissed the bandages, recalling the sensation of his hands on her arm, the pressure of his mouth on her elbow and the shock of pleasure it had generated, the glimpse of recognition and awareness in his eyes she had caught over the rim of his sunglasses.  
  
While she waited for Maddy, Calleigh pulled a small brush out of her purse and attempted to work some of the tangles free from her hair. She was finishing up when Maddy reappeared to wash her hands.  
  
"Calleigh, will you brush my hair too?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, honey," Calleigh responded, guiding her over to a small bench. She unfastened a couple of small barrettes that were in danger of sliding off Maddy's silky hair and began to brush the soft locks.  
  
"Your hair is beautiful," she told the little girl as she reaffixed the barrettes.  
  
"It's like Uncle Horatio's," Maddy said proudly, turning around and fingering strands of Calleigh's hair. "Daddy always said it was like Mommy's, but her hair is like yours."  
  
Suddenly, Maddie dropped her hand and seemed to slump, as if her comment had somehow brought up something unpleasant.  
  
Calleigh was confused for a moment, but then she remembered what Horatio had told her about Robert Keaton, Suzie's husband. He was the only father Maddy had ever known, and now he was in prison for murdering the man who was her biological father, Raymond Caine, a man Maddy would never meet.  
  
Filled with compassion for the pain and confusion Maddy must be feeling, Calleigh asked, "You miss your daddy, don't you?"  
  
Maddy nodded, and a couple of tears leaked out and spilled across her freckled cheeks. Calleigh wiped them away and drew the saddened child into her arms.  
  
Maddie sniffled, saying, "Mommy told me he did a very bad thing and had to go away, so that he wouldn't hurt anyone else."  
  
Calleigh rubbed small circles on the child's back. "How do you feel about that?"  
  
Maddie shrugged and looked away. "I don't know. He used to hurt Mommy. I'm glad that he can't do that anymore. He would yell at her and I even saw him hit her, but then he would say he was sorry and he was different. Nicer. And he always took care of me and would color with me. I love him and I miss him but I..."  
  
Calleigh suddenly understood some of what Maddy was feeling. She reflected on her own childhood, one in which she adored her father but feared him at the same time. She would watch her father drink until he was another person. A violent person. She did not like talking about it, but she realized if her experience could help Maddy in any way, if her pain could ease any of this little girl's, it was worth it.  
  
She knelt on the floor so she and Maddy could be eye-to-eye. "I know, honey," she said softly. "You feel safer because he's not there to hurt your mommy, and he won't ever be able to hurt you, but feel bad about that because you love him, and that means you should want him home so you can be a family again. Is that right?"  
  
Maddy nodded, wide-eyed. "How did you know?"  
  
Calleigh smiled sadly. "Because my daddy was just like yours, only he never had to go away. He would get angry too, and he hit my mom and my brothers, and even me a couple times."  
  
Suddenly their roles were reversed as Maddy wrapped Calleigh in a tight hug. "It's not your fault," she said, and Calleigh fought back tears. Maddy had probably heard those words from her mother every time Keaton lost his temper, and was sharing the only comfort she knew for this kind of situation.  
  
"I know that, honey," she answered, pulling back and smoothing down Maddy's hair again. "I know that he loved me and didn't mean to be like that, but he couldn't stop himself sometimes."  
  
Maddy was nodding, completely serious. "Do you still love him?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
"Very much," Calleigh answered, smiling a little bit. "I still wish that he would change, for me and my family, but I love him anyway. He will always be my daddy and I will always be his little Lambchop."  
  
At that, Maddy giggled. "Lambchop?"  
  
Calleigh shrugged. "Yes, Lambchop. But he's the only one that's allowed to call me that, and no one else needs to know—especially your Uncle Horatio. So can that stay just between you and me?"  
  
Maddy nodded, smiling. "It will be our secret, I promise."  
  
Calleigh drew an exaggerated hand across her forehead as though relieved, which sent Maddy into another fit of giggles. Calleigh laughed too, standing up and offering her hand, which was grabbed instantly by the smiling child.  
  
"Come on, our food is probably getting cold by now."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Coming out of the restroom, Calleigh spotted Horatio almost instantly, his tall and noble frame standing out in the crowd. She pointed him out to Maddy and they made their way over to the table he was guarding.  
  
Sitting down, Horatio tucked a napkin into the front of Maddy's shirt and opened up her Happy Meal before turning to Calleigh with a teasing grin.  
  
"I was about to send out a search party," he stated. "How much time does it take to go to the bathroom?"  
  
Calleigh just rolled her eyes and took the cover off her chocolate milkshake, dipping fries into it and eating them happily.  
  
"Maddy and I needed to brush our hair. The price of beauty, my friend."  
  
Horatio reached over to steal some of Calleigh's fries. "I thought you said yours didn't cost a penny."  
  
Calleigh blushed and looked over at Maddy, who was watching the exchange with a huge smile on her face, eyes sparkling. The picture she presented was made even more adorable by a small amount of ketchup on her chin. Wiping it off with a spare napkin, Calleigh looked back at Horatio, whose teasing grin had softened at her actions into an affectionate smile directed at his niece.  
  
She kept her concentration on Maddy, chatting with the engaging girl and casting only short glances in Horatio's direction when he joined the conversation, never allowing her eyes to linger for more than a brief second before turning away again.  
  
The meal progressed this way until Horatio made a second attempt to steal some of her fries. Calleigh swatted his hand away and moved the container so he could not reach it.  
  
"Hey- it's not nice to keep those all to yourself," he complained. "You should share."  
  
"You're the one who wanted a salad," she stated matter-of-factly, meeting his gaze head-on, a grin belying the piqued tone with which she had responded. "Deal with it." 


	4. Part 4

Promises of Someday 4/5 By koaladeb  
  
Disclaimer information in part 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After lunch, the trio made their way to a nearby store so Calleigh could pick out a new shirt. Finding a blue button-down in her size, Calleigh walked over to the dressing room to try it on. Horatio followed with Maddy and found a bench they could sit on to wait.  
  
Maddy curled into his side, and Horatio put an arm around her, basking in the unrestrained affection she always gave. He concentrated on the small form cuddled against him, forcing his thoughts away from the curtain ten feet away and the knowledge that Calleigh was changing clothes behind it.  
  
Calleigh reappeared a moment later asking, "What do you think?"  
  
Maddy didn't move from her position and his side, but her head immediately perked up and she clapped happily. "It's perfect, Calleigh!" she called. "It matches your eyes!"  
  
Horatio silently agreed with his perceptive niece. The shirt did indeed match Calleigh's eyes, the color of the fabric making them stand out even more prominently. The image she presented caused him to be struck speechless for a moment, losing himself in a fantasy he had been fighting all afternoon, allowing his dream world to layer itself over reality until he existed in both simultaneously.  
  
In fantasy he was a married man, doing something as ordinary as shopping with his wife and daughter on a Saturday afternoon, and it felt so right and natural that he could hardly breathe. Calleigh spun around, her golden hair flying over one shoulder and coming to rest, the ends resting perfectly against a petite form that filled the shirt perfectly.  
  
Dragging himself unwillingly from this train of thought, Horatio remembered Calleigh was still waiting for a response. He met her quirked eyebrow with an apologetic shrug and a smile.  
  
"It's definitely you."  
  
Calleigh grinned and walked over to him. "Can you help me with the tags? The salesperson said I could wear it out of the store if I wanted to, but I need the tags for the cashier."  
  
Horatio nodded and sent Maddy to collect Calleigh's purse and discarded clothes while he helped with the tag. He stood as she turned, presenting him with her back, completely still, completely trusting, completely provocative.  
  
The action only took a few seconds, but they seemed like an exquisite eternity for Horatio. He gathered up her hair and caught the scent of vanilla before he brought it over her shoulder, allowing the strands to run through his fingers as he let go. His hands were hesitant as he reached for the collar of the shirt and the price tag hanging out of it, dangling on a plastic cord. He had to dip his fingers into the shirt to find the cloth tag through which the plastic cord was positioned, brushing against the bare skin of Calleigh's neck and back in the process.  
  
Horatio's breath caught at the contact and Calleigh started as well. Her body told him of the effect his hands and proximity were having as a slight blush made its way up her neck, now covered in goose bumps. Holding onto the collar of the shirt, Horatio tugged at the plastic until it gave way. He pulled the pieces from the shirt and folded the tag back into place, lightly stroking Calleigh's neck again under the pretext of straightening the collar.  
  
She turned slowly without backing away, so that her face was just centimeters away when she whispered, "Thank you, Handsome."  
  
He felt her hand against his and broke eye contact to see her slender fingers take possession of the price tag. He looked up, locking gazes with her and something within him burned to close the remaining distance between them. But he was locked in place, unable to produce sound, let alone movement.  
  
Calleigh showed no such difficulty. "I'll meet you and Maddy out front in a minute," she said softly, taking a small step backwards and putting an end to the moment and Horatio's paralysis. She made her way back to the dressing-room, appearing a moment later, Maddy by her side.  
  
The little girl crossed to where Horatio was standing, holding his windbreaker. He took possession of the item, resisting the temptation of testing to see if Calleigh's scent remained on it, and led Maddy to the front of the store. Calleigh appeared a moment later carrying a bag containing her torn shirt. They began walking toward the parking lot.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Maddy asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.  
  
Horatio glanced over at Calleigh. "We've taken up a large part of your day. I guess we'd better take you home."  
  
Calleigh nodded and looked down for a moment, putting sunglasses on before locking her gaze on the official Miami-Dade PD Hummer, standing silently in front of them, an object currently serving as a visual representation of the separation that was coming—both this day and once work started on Monday.  
  
Maddy protested. "But I don't want you to go home!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Calleigh's waist and burying her small head in her stomach.  
  
Helpless, Calleigh looked up at Horatio. Her sunglasses hid the emotions in her eyes, but Horatio could sense her inner conflict.  
  
"This time is so precious for you," she said, speaking to him but directing her comments at Maddy. She unwrapped the arms from her and kneeled to face the child. "I've loved spending time with you Maddy, and I'll see you again, I promise. But I don't want to prevent you from spending time with family, and that's what I would be doing if I stayed."  
  
"Please!" Maddy responded, looking back and forth between Calleigh and Horatio. "Uncle Horatio, please tell her to stay."  
  
Horatio knelt next to Calleigh and looked at her, allowing the image of her with Maddy to enliven his imagination even as it tore at his heart, knowing the moment could not last.  
  
"Stay," he said, the tone making it sound like an appeal, the hand on her arm turning it into a statement of reassurance. "It would mean a lot to both of us."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I'll stay."  
  
Maddie squealed with delight and hugged Horatio. "Thank you! I knew you could make her stay!"  
  
Horatio shut his mind away from the knowledge that the rest of the day would be filled with exquisite torture, allowing himself only to smile in affection and looked up to see a similar expression on Calleigh's face, as though she were experiencing the same inner turmoil.  
  
"Come on," he said, unlocking the Hummer and opening doors. "Let's go walk on the beach."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They drove to the shore and took off shoes and socks before heading down to the water. Calleigh walked with Horatio and they both kept an eye on Maddy, who would stop every few feet to pick up a shell and bring it back for approval and safekeeping. At some point, she slipped her arm through his and they continued on that way, walking leisurely, as though they had all the time in the world instead of this one afternoon.  
  
Horatio found himself wandering in and out of the fantasy again, imagining what the rest of the day would be like if he did not need to worry about taking Calleigh home and returning Maddy to her mother the next day. Imagining what it would be like if they were both his to cherish forever.  
  
They would probably keep walking, making their way over to a small beach restaurant where they could watch the sunset. Then they would go home, give Maddy a bath and dress her in pajamas before settling on the couch and watching cartoons. When the time came for Maddy to go to sleep, he could carry her to bed and read her stories. Calleigh would join them and help him tuck Maddy in and give her good night kisses. Then they would go back out and cuddle on the couch, or sway together to some soft music, or maybe even go to bed and work on giving Maddy a baby brother or sister. There would be no goodbyes, no nights spent alone, no professional distance, only love and fulfillment.  
  
He looked over at Calleigh, who was turning over shells in her hand, looking through the collection Maddy had made. She looked up and smiled, and Horatio's heart constricted at the thought that she was not part of his reality like she was in his dreams. He couldn't lean over and kiss her softly, or stroke her face like he was desperate to do in this moment.  
  
Calleigh must have noticed something was wrong, because she frowned in concern. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
Horatio looked ahead and rested his eyes on Maddy, who was searching for yet another shell before returning his gaze to Calleigh, but he couldn't look her in the eye and lie to her, so he deflected, dropping his head to stare at the sand sticking to his feet.  
  
"I was thinking we'll never be able to hold onto all the shells Maddy keeps picking up," he said, avoiding deeper revelation.  
  
He heard Calleigh sigh, and when he examined her face, he saw again an echo of the longing he felt. She directed his gaze over to a food stand.  
  
"Go ask them for an empty cup. We'll put Maddy's shells in that."  
  
Horatio nodded, and felt it was punishment for his cowardice when he had to slip Calleigh's arm from his and walk away from her. He reached the stand quickly, made his request, and was handed a small paper cup. Horatio thanked the man behind the counter and was about to walk away when he heard the comment that stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"You have a beautiful family."  
  
Horatio looked over at Calleigh and Maddy, who were laughing together at some seagulls, and did not even think about correcting the man; even if he could have spoken, the roughness of his voice would have betrayed the emotions he was desperately trying to keep hidden. He watched and pined for something that was within his reach and yet did not belong to him.  
  
Horatio kept his back turned to the stand, not wanting anyone to see the tears that sprung to his eyes at the innocent remark. 


	5. Part 5

Promises of Someday 5/5 By koaladeb  
  
Disclaimer info in part 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Calleigh noticed Horatio was slightly frayed at the edges when he came back from collecting a cup for Maddy's shells, but decided to let it go without comment. She knew he was not telling the whole truth earlier when she asked what was wrong and it would be no good to push him to reveal more than he was willing.  
  
After depositing the shells in the paper cup, Calleigh looked at her watch and sighed. The near-perfect day was coming to a close all too quickly. Leaving the brooding man at her side, she walked up to Maddy.  
  
"You have enough yet?" Calleigh asked.  
  
The little girl looked up with pure joy. "Now I do! Look at this one!"  
  
Chuckling, Calleigh dropped to her knees and held out her hand. A moment later, her palm was filled with a cracked sand dollar. Calleigh smiled at Maddy and handed it back. "It's beautiful! You've done a great job finding all these shells."  
  
Her praise made Maddy's face light up before something else caught the girl's attention. "Uncle Horatio!" Maddy shouted, "Come look what I found!"  
  
Calleigh rose as he approached, brushing sand off her jeans with her free hand and looking out over the water while Horatio talked with his niece. She didn't listen to the words, only the way his voice melded with the breaking waves of the ocean. The sun was beginning to grow large on the horizon, and a cooler breeze made Calleigh fold her arms, trying to hold onto the warmth that had previously permeated the day.  
  
She was drawn back into the present by a touch on her arm. Horatio was standing right at her side, sunglasses off, the sinking sun and light breeze making his hair shine and dance like a small fire. Calleigh couldn't help but smile a little at the image while she cocked her head to listen to what Horatio was saying.  
  
"Maddy is getting hungry again. I was thinking we should start heading back."  
  
His tone, like the day, was not as warm as it had been. It was more formal, as though he was slipping back into professional mode. His expression, now registering, was closed off, a clear indication he was moving the tone of the day back towards reality and the status quo that kept them from being anything more than colleagues.  
  
Feeling her heart sink, Calleigh admitted to herself she was not yet ready for the day to end. "We could do that," she granted, looking over Horatio's shoulder and spotting a restaurant about thirty yards away. She pointed it out. "Or we could eat there, watch the sun set, and walk back to the car afterwards."  
  
Maybe he heard the slight desperation in her voice. Maybe he read in her eyes that she was not ready to let go of the moment. Whatever it was, Horatio softened, slipping back into the inviting companion with whom she had spent the better part of the day.  
  
"That works for me. Let's go see if they have an empty table."  
  
Horatio collected Maddy and took possession of the shell cup. Making their way across the beach, the adults each took one of Maddy's hands, alternately walking and swinging her between them, the sounds of their combined laughter floating freely in the evening breeze.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Somewhere between being seated and the moment when the sun slipped completely below the horizon Calleigh began to understand what had been plaguing Horatio.  
  
As per custom, local merchants blew on Conch shells to signal the end of day, and Calleigh heard in the primal, hollow sound an echo of her own yearning. The sun had set, and with it, the illusion that this crazy, perfect day could stretch on indefinitely. As beautiful as the scene before her was, Calleigh thought she would give anything to turn the clock backwards and get back more time with Horatio and Maddy.  
  
Putting on a grin, Calleigh tried not to let Maddy know she was anything less than completely happy. She did not even pretend to believe Horatio was fooled, or that he did not understand. Veiled behind his own content grin, Calleigh read in his eyes awareness of the passing time and the same longing desire to prolong the day.  
  
It did not surprise her, then, when he suggested they get ice cream on the way back to the Hummer. Standing in front of the counter, watching Maddy make attempts to balance her cone, Calleigh claimed she was too full for dessert and cited her earlier milkshake took care of any ice cream cravings.  
  
Horatio eyed her with feigned disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" he said, aghast, "I thought there was no such thing as too much ice cream!" His antics caused Maddy to giggle and tilt her cone at a dangerous angle.  
  
Calleigh knelt quickly and helped the little girl right her dessert before it fell. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "You forget I have M&Ms from earlier I haven't eaten, and I'd like to open them while I'm still in a position to share with your niece."  
  
Maddy shouted for joy. Horatio smiled. "You're not helping your case. Refusing ice cream *and* declaring your intent to share what candy you do have? That hardly seems fair."  
  
Calleigh laughed. "I'll steal a bite of yours then, if it will make you happy. In the meantime, just get me some water. And lots of napkins."  
  
Clearly confused, but humoring what seemed like an odd request, Horatio nodded and grabbed some from the counter. "Any particular flavor?" he asked, handing over the small stack he procured.  
  
"I'm not picky. You can have whatever you want." Re-wrapping Maddy's cone with a napkin and tucking in another one to protect the child's clothing from drips, she almost missed his quiet response. "I wish." It was said under his breath, not meant to be heard by her or any other person. But Calleigh's ears were attuned to listening for Horatio's voice, picking up even the smallest sound and amplifying it.  
  
Her back was turned, so Horatio never saw the light blush or smile that appeared on Calleigh's face at his remark.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We're going to need more napkins."  
  
Calleigh tried hard not to laugh, but the scene in front of her begged for a camera and a quick escape route.  
  
Maddy was, of course, covered in the sticky remains of her chocolate cone. The little girl had done her level best to control the ice cream as she ate it, but small trails of melted chocolate traced their way down her hands and arms. Her face wasn't much better, smears of ice cream surrounding a bright smile.  
  
The best part however, in Calleigh's opinion, was Horatio. He had tried to keep Maddy clean while she was still finishing her cone, using up the napkins quickly and neglecting his own dessert in the process.  
  
Initially, whenever Horatio's preoccupation with Maddy put him in danger of being dripped on, Calleigh would grab the cone and take a few licks, keeping the contents even and shoring up the melting parts. But the image Horatio presented was adorable, and she soon stopped rescuing him, watching the normally-fastidious man lose control over something as benign as an ice cream cone. He was absolutely helpless, forgetting about the substance on his hands and accidentally wiping his face at one point. His right cheek now had an orange shadow from the sorbet he had selected.  
  
The result of all this chaos was two sticky individuals and two sets of identically endearing eyes staring at her. But while Maddy's gaze was one of contentment, Horatio's pleaded for assistance.  
  
Calleigh stood and grabbed a large stack of napkins before getting down to business, starting with Maddy. Horatio moved to help, but Calleigh stopped him with a smile and a stern command to stay put, saying, "Your time will come, just wait."  
  
She first knelt in front of Maddy. Pouring some of her bottled water onto the paper, and repeating the process with clean napkins as necessary, Calleigh wiped off the girls' arms, hands and face. Finally, she removed the makeshift bib and inspected Maddy's clothes, which were surprisingly free from any stains. Declaring her to be clean, Calleigh asked Maddy to switch her seat to the other side of the table.  
  
"Now it's your turn," she said to Horatio, taking Maddy's abandoned chair and reaching for his hands. He held them out, allowing Calleigh to move and turn them as necessary to remove the orange stains.  
  
She took her time, enjoying the control Horatio relinquished as he allowed himself to be cared for by someone else. She traced hand from the palm to the tip of his fingers, memorizing the texture of his skin before turning it over and wiping the back of it clean. Calleigh worked silently, focusing so intently on what she was doing that the sound in the room dimmed. Her vision, her world narrowed to one single point: Horatio's hand in hers.  
  
When she was nearly finished, Horatio tightened his fingers around hers, squeezing them in a sign of gratitude. Calleigh pressed his hand between hers and held it for a moment, locking her bright eyes onto his; receiving proof in his gaze of how equally he had been affected by her ministrations.  
  
The potency of the connection forced Calleigh to look away. She took a drink of water to regain her composure before completing her task. She tilted Horatio's face to inspect the smear across his cheek and could not help an amused grin from spreading across her face.  
  
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked mockingly, gently wiping the sorbet away with another wet napkin. Maddy giggled.  
  
Calleigh felt Horatio grin under her fingertips, but he did not say a word.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Between the excitement she expressed while recounting her day and the chocolate ice cream after dinner, it was a surprise to Calleigh and Horatio when Maddy fell asleep halfway to Calleigh's apartment. "She'll be disappointed when she wakes up," Horatio observed after checking on the sleeping child in the rearview mirror. "I know she wanted to say goodbye."  
  
Calleigh turned to look at Maddy, a gentle, affectionate smile firmly in place. "Tell her it turned out for the best- this way, instead of saying goodbye, she can come visit me and say hello."  
  
Horatio released a low chuckle before falling back into silence, and Calleigh found herself missing Maddy's exuberant conversation. In a way, she had become a buffer against the reality now settling over the two adults in the front seat.  
  
Unwilling to give in, Calleigh tried to jump start another conversation.  
  
"What did Maddy say to you when you buckled her in? I thought for a second your skin was going to match your hair."  
  
Her question went unanswered. Glancing over at Horatio, Calleigh could see he was blushing again and avoiding her gaze by staring intently out the front window.  
  
"Well?" she prompted.  
  
"I, she.... Maddy, ummm....well, she said we should get married... and have a baby so she would have a cousin to play with." It was said quietly, haltingly, and the light pink spreading across his cheeks turned a deep red.  
  
Calleigh was caught between a smile at Horatio's discomfort and tears over the thought. If only- it would be perfect, a dream come true. She turned to look again at the endearing child in the backseat, and wished again to have this be her future- going home together after a quiet, completely average Saturday, their child in the backseat.  
  
The conversation lapsed again, but surprisingly it was not uncomfortable. The implications of Maddy's request were not stifling in the least, but a breath of fresh air to Calleigh's soul.  
  
The silence continued until they arrived at her apartment. Reluctantly, Horatio turned the engine off. He bowed his head, unwilling or unable to meet her gaze. Calleigh knew he was afraid to let her see the emotions visible there.  
  
"I wish there was something I could do to let you know how much today meant to me." It was almost a whisper, and Calleigh knew it had nothing to do with the sleeping child in the backseat. Just like eye contact, conversation at this moment was dangerous territory.  
  
All she had to do was get out of the car, maybe even open the door, and the spell would be broken. They would go their separate ways and this entire, blessed day would fade into a dream. They could go back to pretending there was nothing more between them than the respect of colleagues. They could reenter the familiar, safe comfort zone in which their relationship existed.  
  
Be that as it may, she knew this was the moment- if she failed to say anything now, her chance may be gone for good. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and dove into the deep end.  
  
"You want to do something for me? Make me a promise."  
  
"Anything." His answer held no hesitation, but Horatio still would not look her in the eye.  
  
"Promise me someday."  
  
That statement finally made Horatio look up, shocked. Calleigh pressed on before he could say a word. Before he could let his sense of propriety and honor overrule his heart. If he was not going to fight for this, she was.  
  
"There's no denying we were both thinking about it today. How wonderful it would be. How perfect. How right."  
  
Still at a loss for words, Horatio looked between her and Maddy. There was desperation in the rapid way he shifted his attention, and his face held desire, pain, hope and fear as he considered the possibility.  
  
"You can't tell me you don't want this, can you?" Calleigh continued pushing, knowing in her bones this was the right course of action.  
  
His eyes finally locked on hers, and desperation met determination. All it took was one deep look and Horatio's uncertainty turned into pain. He shook his head, closing his eyes.  
  
"I can't deny it. It's everything I could possibly dream of."  
  
"Then promise me," Calleigh whispered, pleading, reaching across the center console to touch his arm. She did not understand what was holding him back, why there was a discrepancy between his words an actions, why it felt as though he were about to deny them both a chance at the future they both wanted.  
  
"I can't," he finally choked out, a single tear escaping eyes tightly shut against the path he was embracing. "What if something happens and I screw this up? I can't lose you- that's the one thing that would destroy me."  
  
Calleigh moved her hand from Horatio's arm to his face, turning it again so he would look her in the eye. Reluctantly, he met her gaze.  
  
"Impossible," she answered, voice and vision filled with conviction. "I won't deny there will be bumps in the road, but taking the journey together- it's all I want. What we have is too real- I know we don't usually talk about the extent of our relationship, but it won't disappear the moment we try to redefine it. Trust me."  
  
Those final words seemed to break through to him. Horatio willingly surrendered, giving himself permission to take a chance. His hand came to rest on hers, pressing it into his cheek.  
  
"I do trust you Calleigh," he said reverently, tracing her jawline with his free hand. Horatio glanced into the backseat, where Maddy still slept, dead to the world, and knew he was making the right decision.  
  
Calleigh followed his gaze and smiled, resting in the knowledge that this was beginning to look like more than a dream- it was beginning to look like her future. And it was a beautiful picture.  
  
"After work tomorrow, let's sit down and talk. I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment, just coffee, conversation, anything. A place to begin. We just need to *begin* Horatio—begin so that we can end up right back here, to this day, to this moment, except without the good-byes."  
  
Horatio nodded, smiling. "No goodbyes... I could live with that."  
  
Maddy let out a huge sigh in her sleep, and Calleigh knew she needed to go so that Horatio could get his niece home and into bed. She gathered her purse and reached for the doorknob. "Good night, Handsome," she murmured, moving to exit the Hummer.  
  
His hand held her fast. "I want this, Calleigh," he said, completely serious. "All of this. With you. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I promise. Someday. Someday soon."  
  
Seeing her delighted smile, Horatio placed a gentle kiss into the palm of her hand before releasing it. "Goodnight."  
  
Still smiling, Calleigh slipped out of the car, content to end the perfect day in favor of an even better tomorrow. 


End file.
